Hydrocarbon eduction apparatus and process



June 19, 1962 c. J. WELSH 3,039,939

HYDROCARBON EDUCTION APPARATUS AND PROCESS Filed April 14. 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 1 flaw/w 4441151 (7/1 42 11 c. J. WELSH 3,039,939

HYDROCARBON EDUCTION APPARATUS AND PROCESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 19,1962 Filed April 14. 1958 HHIII m n Ava 7a! ax/zzzaji/rzmg United StatesPatent 3,039,939 HYDROCARBON EDUCTION APPARATUS AND PROCESS Charles J.Welsh, Rifle, Colo., assignor to Union Oil Company of California, LosAngeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 14, 1958, Ser.No. 728,282 17 Claims. (Cl. 202-6) This invention relates to an improvedapparatus for educting hydrocarbon values from hydrocarbonaceous solidssuch as oil shale, bituminous sands, and the like, and in particularconcerns means for attaining a uniform distribution of particle sizeswithin a retort apparatus of the type hereinafter more fully described.

:In Berg Patent No. 2,640,019 there is described a process for therecovery of hydrocarbon values from oil shale and the like whichinvolves countercurrently contacting the shale with a hot flue gas whichservesto educt the hydrocarbons from the shale at an elevatedtemperature. The apparatus in which such process is effected takes theform of a vertical retort essentially comprising a solidsfeedingsection, a solids-fluid disengaging section, and a kiln section. The oilshale is introduced from an inlet hopper into the solids feeding sectionat the bottom of the retort, and is passed upwardly in sequence throughthe disengaging and kiln sections. Simultaneously, air or otheroxygen-containing gas is introduced into the top of the retort, and isdrawn downwardly into the kiln section. Within the latter, the air ispreheated and is then employed to burn carbonaceous residue from theshale, thereby forming the aforesaid hot flue gas. As said flue gaspasses downwardly through the rising bed of shale it educts thehydrocarbon values therefrom. The mixture of hydrocarbons and flue gasthen passes into the disengaging section where the hydrocarbons arecondensed in contact with the shale and are separated therefrom as wellas from the flue gas, and are passed to storage or further processingfacilities.

In operating the Berg process on a commercial scale, it has been foundthat optimum results depend to a large extent upon maintaining more orless well defined boundaries between the various zones which existwithin the kiln section of the apparatus, and also upon maintaining saidzones substantially in horizontal planes. It has further been found thatnon-level and indefinite zone boundaries are caused by a non-uniformdistribution of shale fines, i.e., shale particles of less than about0.5 inch size, in the rising mass of shale within the retort. Suchnon-uniform distribution of fines occurs by reason of the fact that theretort itself is constructed symmetrically around a vertical axis,whereas the inlet hopper through which the raw shale is fed by gravityinto the solids-feeding section is displaced away from said verticalaxis. Accordingly, the classification of shale particles which occurswhen the shale drops through the inlet hopper results in the smallersized particles, i.e., the fines, being introduced into the retortcloser to one side than the other so that in any horizontal planepassing through the mass of rising solids within the retort the shalefines are non-uniformly distributed around the vertical axis of theretort. As stated, such non-uniform distribution adversely affects thejuxtaposition of the various zones the retort, and leads to variousoperational difliculties, including poor temperature control, loweduction rates, and poor quality products.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide meanswhereby the zone boundaries within the described type of retortapparatus are maintained Welldefined and in substantially horizontalplanes.

Another object is to provide means for attaining a uniform distributionof solids fines around the vertical axis of an apparatus ofthe typedescribed.

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A further object is to provide an improved apparatus for eductinghydrocarbons from hydrocarbonaceous solids such as oil shale.

Other and related objects will be apparent as the description of theinvention proceeds.

We have now found that the foregoing objects and attendant advantagescan be realized by providing, in an apparatus of the type described,solids inlet means adapted to effect a substantially um'formdistribution of fines around the vertical axis of the rising mass ofsolids within the retort. More particularly, we have found that, in theprocess described above, an advantageous distribution of fines in themass of solids undergoing processing can be substantially improved byproviding an apparatus in which the solids are fed downwardly by forceof gravity into a solids-feeder section through an inlet hopper having adistribution plate or baflle extending partially across its throat andupon which the solids impinge in passing to the feeder mechanism. Theinvention thus comprises a particular type of solids inlet means incombination with a retort apparatus of the type referred to above, allas hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings.

In the drawings which form a part of this application, and in which likeparts are designated by like numerals:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view, partly in cut-away section, of a retortapparatus of the present type;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the feed hopper towhich the invention particularly relates;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view of said feed hopper, taken alongline 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary end view of said feed hopper shown attached toretort apparatus.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the retort unit there shown comprises asolids-feeder section 14 communicating with a superimposed conicalsolids-fluid disengaging section 12, which in turn communicates with asuperimposed conical kiln section 10. Solids-feeder section 14 containsa solids-feeder piston 16 which is reciprocated vertically by hydrauliccylinder 22. Feeder piston 16 and its actuating cylinder 22 are disposedwithin cylinder 18 which is supported on trunnion 20. A second hydrauliccylinder 24 is connected to the top of cylinder 18, and serves toreciprocate cylinder 18 around trunnion 20 and between the centralopening which communicates with disengaging section 12 and solids inlet23 which communicates with solids feed hopper 36. A curved shoe 17extends outwardly from cylinder 18 and serves to close 01f solids inletopening 23 when the cylinder is in the position shown and also to closeoff the central opening to the retort when cylinder 18 is in registerwith inlet opening 23. Conveyor 34 supplies raw shale to feed hopper 36from a direction parallel to that of the axis of trunnion 2i). Feederpiston 16 is shown disposed at its upper limit of travel, having justcompleted forcing a charge of shale upwardly into disengaging section 12and thereby displacing the entire mass of shale within the retortupwardly and causing shale ash to overflow the upper rim of kiln section10. With feeder piston 16 in this position, cylinder 24 is operated soas to draw cylinder 18- to the left and into communication with solidsinlet 23. Cylinder 22 is then actuated to retract feeder piston 16 intoits lowermost position, whereupon a charge of shale passes from hopper36 through inlet 23 into the upper part of cylinder 18. Cylinder 24 isthen actuated to place cylinder 18 into communication with disengagingsection 12. Cylinder 22 is then actuated to force feeder piston 16upwardly, thereby discharging the shale charge into disengaging section12. This sequence of operations is repeated continuously, therebyefiiecting a semicontinuous flow of shale upwardly through the retort.

Simultaneous with the above-described operationof the the surroundingseparator case 60.

shale feeding mechanism, blower 78 takes suction on the retort via line76, thereby drawing air through opening 32 in hood 26 which surroundsthe top of the retort. Hood 26 is provided with a sloping bottom 30which catches the'shale ash 23 overflowing the top of the retort anddelivers the ash to conveyor 33 which delivers it to disposal means, notshown. The air entering opening 32 passes upwardly through hood 26 incountercurrent contact with the hot shale ash, and is thereby partiallypreheated. The partially preheated air then enters the top of the retortand passes downwardly into kiln section ill. Reading from top to bottom,the latter comprises a preheating zone 11 wherein the air is furtherpreheated by countercurrent contact with hot shale ash, a combustionzone'19 wherein the air burns the carbonaceous residue from the eductedshale to form the flue gas which con stitutes the eduction fluid,eduction zone 21 wherein the eduction fluid educts hydrocarbons from theshale, and a cooling zone 40 wherein educted hydrocarbons are condensedand eduction fluid is cooled by 'countercurrent contact with incomingcool raw shale. The educted hydrocarbons and eduction fluid are thendrawn down into disengaging section 12 where the hydrocarbons arefurther condensed on the incoming cool shale and flow throughperforations 62 in the side of disengaging section 12 into Within thelatter, the condensed liquid products collect and form liquid level 64,and are drawn olf via line 65 and pump 72'at a rate regulated by valve68 which is controlled by liquid level controller 70. The liquid productis then passed via line 74 to storage facilities, not shown. Theuncondensed hydrocarbons and eduction fluid which pass as a vapor fromdisengaging section 12 through openings 62 into separator case 60collect above liquid level 64 and are drawn through line 76 by blower 78and delivered to mist separator 89 at a rate regulated by valve 84 whichis controlled'by flow controller 88. Within mist separator 80, thegaseous components of'the vapor are separated from entrained liquids,and are passed via line 82 to storage facilities, not shown. The liquidsreceived in separator 80 are passed to liquid product line 74 via lineThe foregoing subject matter constitutes a general indication of themannerin which the eduction process operates and the general design ofthe retort apparatus. Considering now the special construction of feedhopper 36, and with reference to FIGURES 24 of the drawing, feed hopper36 partly takes the form of a hollow semicylinder constructed of sheetmetal or the like, and mounted on the top of feeder section 14 in suchmanner that its semicylindrical aids corresponds substantially to thatof cylinder 18 when the latter is reciprocated into register with solidsinlet 23. A pair of substantially parallel hopper sides 125 extend toseparator case 6% from said seniicylinder form. Sides 125 are thereattached so that hopper 36 is supported by the curved wall 126 ofseparator case 60, and the upper opening of the hopper is positionedwith respect to raw shale conveyor 34 so as to receive solids therefrom.Within hopper 36, an inclined distribution plate 123 extends downwardlyat an angle of about 45 from the upper periphery 124 of the hopper.Lower edge 128 of plate 123 is in a location which is approximatelyhalf-way across the diameter of the hopper, and lateral edges 127 arecurved to fit snugly against the curved walls of the hopper andseparator case 60.

The provision of distribution plate 123 feed hopper 36 effects anadvantageous distribution of fines within the retort by reason of thefact that the fines are thereby fed substantially symmetrically aroundthe vertical axis of the feeder piston, and hence substantiallysymmetrically around the vertical axis of the bed of rising solidswithin the retort. As the solids are being conveyed to the retort viaconveyor '34, a substantial amount of settling occurs, and the finesbecome concentrated immediately adjacent the conveyor belt. As a resultthe fines are discharged into the hopper at a point more or lessimmediately below the end of the conveyor belt. The larger solidsparticles, however, are thrown forward off the end of the conveyor belt.Accordingly, in a hopper which has not been provided with a distributionplate, the fines accumulate at a point more or less immediately belowthe discharge point of the conveyor belt, whereas the larger particlesaccumulate adjacent that wall of the hopper which lies beyond the end ofthe conveyor. This same non-uniform distribution of fines prevails onthe face of the feeder piston and, eventually, in the rising bed ofsolids within the retort, with the ultimate result that the porosity ofsuch bed is asymmetric with respect to the vertical axis thereof. Aspreviously stated, such nonuniform distribution of fines causes thevarious zones within the niln section of the retort to tilt out of thehorizontal, and in particular causes uneven temperature profiles aroundthe periphery of the burning zone. In an oil shale retorting operationwithout distribution plate 123, in which the conveyor terminating at ahopper edge, as shown in PEG. 4, was aligned in an east-west directionand fed from the east to the west, and the feeder piston oscillated to avertical position from north to south, it was found that the porosity ofthe bed within the retort was considerably higher in the northwestquadrant, and that the combustion zone was lower in the northwestquadrant than elsewhere. More importantly, it was found that the skintemperature of the retort was several hundred degrees higher in thenorthwest quadrant. The fact that these phenomena occurred in thenorthwest quadrant, rather than due west, is attributed to the fact thatthe oscillation of the feeder piston from north to south tends to causethe fines to be concentrated somewhat to the south, so that while theyare initially concentrated on the east half of the piston, when thelatter swings into its vertical charging position the fines from aprevious stroke on north side of the retort fall back into the southside of the piston. Thus fines become concentrated in the southeastquadrant of the retort, however, the southerly portion of such southeastquadrant fines concentration can, of course, be compensated for in partby a second similar distribution plate 223, as shown in FIG. 1, at adifferent elevation than the first distribution plate. The seconddistribution plate is faced so as to direct fines to the north, that is,away from the retort wall within the feed hopper.

After the feed hopper had been modified with a single plate inaccordance with the present invention, the hot spot in the northwestquadrant substantially disappeared, and the boundaries between thevarious zones became more clearly defined in horizontal planes. Saidmodification consisted in welding a distribution plate to the east sideof the upper edge of the feed hopper in such manner that the plateextended down into the hopper at an angle from horizontal of about 45(that is, greater than the angle of repose for fines solids), andterminated about half-way across the hopper with its lower edge runningin a north-south direction. In short, such modification wassubstantially as illustrated in FIGS. 2-4. With such modification, thefines which dropped substantially vertically off the end of the conveyorbelt were caught on the distribution plate and slid down and over thelower edge of the same to fall substantially vertically to the bottom ofthe hopper in the vicinity of its central axis. The coarse particles, onthe other hand, were thrown forward off the conveyor belt andricochetted off the opposite wall of the hopper to be distributed moreor less uniformly on the bottom of the hopper. Consequently, when theaccumulatiomof solids within the feed hopper was deposited on the feederpiston and forced upwardly into the retort proper, the fines were moreor less symmetrically distributed around the vertical axis of theretort.

' The foregoing hopper distribution plate and method of operation may befurther explained for clarity in the following manner. Temperaturesurveys indicate that the F i) burning zone is lower, for example, onthe north side toward the feed hopper and on the west side, toward whichthe solids feed conveyor discharges. This is presumably caused bygreater bed porosity, and thus channeling of on the north and west.

The greater porosity on the north is attributed to the fact that thefeed piston may fill to only 80 to 85 percent of capacity. Whenoscillating from north hopper position to south vertical feed positionmaterial falls back onto the piston from the first approached north sideof the retort 'bed. This movement results in a screening action on thenorth side of the retort, fines being sifted from the retort back ontothe feed piston and transported therein to the south. The feed hopperwhich slants from north toward the retort tends to counteractconcentration of fines to the south, but only partially. The seconddistribution plate of this invention also tends to counteract thisconcentration.

The greater porosity on the west is attributed to the fact that the feedhopper is fed from the east, and the discharge end of the conveyor isdirectly above the east edge of the hopper. It is believed that finesfall to the hopper more or less directly vertically from the conveyor,while larger pieces of solids are thrown out farther to the west.

It has been found that in spite of passage through sam-- pling towerequipment prior to depositing on the feed conveyor, the concentration offines in the east persists in a feed hopper supplied with an eastfeeding conveyor. The installation of the distribution plate of thisinvention in the feed hopper directs fines from the east to the centerof the feed hopper. The single sloped plate described in the foregoingparagraphs is installed below the discharge of the feed hopper conveyorjust inside the feed hopper. The plate covers the east half of the feedhopper, slanting to the west, directing all solids to the west. Fineshitting the plate slide down it and drop into the center of the feedhopper. Other larger solids distribute around such fines.

The foregoing method of handling solids, in the example, reducestemperature peaking in the northwest retort quadrant and produces a moreuniform east-west burning zone.

The foregoing description of the invention is merely illustrative, andvarious departures therefrom may be made within the scope of theinvention. Thus, while the distribution plate has been described asbeing sloped downwardly within the feed hopper at an angle of about 45,it will be understood that other slopes may be employed depending uponthe nature of the solids being treated, the location of the conveyor,and the nature of the feeding mechanism. Similarly, the distributionplate need not extend into the hopper from a direction exactly parallelto that of the feeder cylinder trunnion; it may be offset somewhat tocompensate for the re-distribution of fines on the feeder piston causedby the latters reciprocation. Other modifications and embodiments withinthe the art, and the true scope of the invention is to be determined bythe scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for fluid-solids contacting comprising a contactingvessel opening downwardly into a solids feeder case disposed therebelow,a solids inlet hopper opening downwardly into the top of said feedercase, an oscillating vertically-acting piston solids feeder disposedwithin said feeder case, means for oscillating said solids feeder in avertical plane between said vessel opening and said hopper opening, andmeans for reciprocating said piston so as to receive a charge of solidsas a mass from said hopper and force said mass upwardly through saidcontacting vessel, the improvement which comprises in combinationtherewith a fines solids sloped distribution plate located in a flowstream of solids directed into said hopper, said sloped distributionplate having an upper edge substantially in peripheral alignment withrespect to a side of said hopper, and said sloped distribution platehaving a lower fines discharge edge centrally disposed across saidhopper so as to direct fines substantially vertically along a line offines discharge into said hopper below, said line of concentrated finesthereby being received into said oscillating vertically acting pistonsolids feeder from said hopper in such a manner that the central point:of said line of fines is centrally received thereby distributing finesin a controlled compensating manner in comparison to chance distributionby hopper concentration of fines prior to processing of solids in saidcontacting vessel.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said sloped distiibutionplate is disposed at an angle from horizontal greater than the angle ofrepose of fines solids received thereon.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said sloped distributionplate is' sloped in a geographical direction which is substantiallyparallel to the geographical disposition of the axis of oscillation ofsaid piston solids feeder.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said sloped distributionplate is contained within said hopper below the upper periphery thereofand in contact with said hopper in an internal hopper form fittingrelation on plate edges with said discharge plate edge free andunattached.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which solids are received into saidhopper moving to some extent in the same geographical direction as thedirection of slope of said sloped distribution plate.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which there is provided aperforated fiuid disengaging vessel below said contacting vessel, aclosed separator-settler vessel which surrounds said disengaging vessel,and means for removing at least one fluid stream from saidseparator-settler vessel.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which there is provided a beltconveyor for directing a solids flow stream of various particle sizesinto said hopper, said belt conveyor having a discharge end positionedadjacent said upper edge of said sloped distribution plate, saiddistribution plate being positioned to slant Within said hopper in adirection away from said belt conveyor.

8. In an apparatus for fluid-solids contacting comprise ing a contactingvessel opening downwardly into a solids feeder case disposed therebelow,a solids inlet hopper opening downwardly into the top of said feedercase, an

oscillating vertically acting piston solids feeder disposed within saidfeeder case, means for oscillating said solids feeder in a verticalplane between said vessel opening and said hopper opening, and means forreciprocating said piston so as to receive a charge of solids as a massfrom said hopperand force said mass upwardly through said contactingvessels, the improvement which comprises in combination therewith afirst fines solids sloped distribution plate located in a fiow stream ofsolids directed into said hopper, said plate having an upper edgesubstantially in peripheral alignment with respect to a side of saidhopper, and said sloped distribution plate having a lower finesdischarge edge centrally disposed so as to fines substantiallyvertically along a line of fines discharge into said hopper below, saidline of concentrated fines thereby being received into said oscillatingvertically acting piston solids feeder from said hopper in such a mannerso the central point of said line of fines is centrally receivedtherein, a second fines solids sloped distribution plate located at adifferent elevation than said first fines solids distribution plate,said second distribution plate having a lower fines discharge edgecentrally disposed so as to direct fines substantially vertically alonga line of fines discharge into said hopper below, which line of fines iscentrally received therein meeting at a central position said line offines discharged by said first distribution plate so as to distributefines in a controlled compensating manner by multiple hopperconcentration of fines prior to processing of solids in said contactingvessel.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which there is provided aperforated fluid disengaging vessel below said contacting vessel, aclosed separator-settler vessel which surrounds said disengaging vessel,and a means :for removing at least onefiuid stream fromsaidseparator-settler vessel. 7

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which there is provided a beltconveyor for directing a solid flow stream of various particle sizesinto said hopper, said belt conveyor having a discharge end positionedadjacent said upper edge of said first sloped distribution plate, saidfirst sloped distribution plate being positioned to siant within saidhopper in a direction away from said belt conveyor.

11. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which said second plate isdisposed slanted away from said disengaging and contacting vesselswithin said hopper.

l2. In a method for feeding solids of various sizes upwardly throughtreating zones which comprises receiving solids downwardly into an inletzone, transferring said solids by an arcuate path in one geographicaldirection to a feeder zone and feeding solids vertically upwardlythrough said treating zones, the improvement in combinationtherewithwhich comprises separating said downwardly moving inlet solids ofvarious sizes into two ranges of particle size groups in a friction zoneof operation by contacting said solids against a 'iirictionallyretarding structure in said friction zone, the smaller range of saidsolids particles being more frictionally retarded than the larger rangeof said solids particles in downward movement in said friction zone,thereby distributing said smaller range particle size solids group insubstantially a straight line across said feeder zone geographicallyaligned with the geographical disposition of said arcuate path of solidstransfer, and distributing said larger range particle size group withinsaid feeder zone on each size of said linearly disposed smaller rangeparticle solids thereby providing pro-treating separation of solids intotwo ranges of particle size groups which exist in substantially the samephysical disposition with respect to one another within theupwardlymoving. solids of said treating zones.

13. A method according to claim 12 in which said solids comprise oilshale and said treating zones comprise from bottom to top a fluiddisengaging zone, a solids preheating zone, a fluid eduction zone, acarbon burning zone, and an oxygen preaheating zone.

14. A method according to claim 13 in which said shale solids receiveddownwardly into said inlet zone are received from a solids conveyingsupply zone with some degree of forward momentum which momentum acts ina geograpl'iical direction at' a right angle to said linear distributionof smaller range particle size group.

15. A method according to claim 13 in which there is provided aplurality of sub-zones of friction retarding of solids within saidfriction step of operation, said disposition of the smaller range ofsolids particles having a multipie linear disposition in which more thanone of said linear dispositions meet at a central position within saidfeeder zone.

16. A method according to claim 15 in which there are provided two ofsaid linear dispositions of smaller range of solids meeting in a rightangle pattern at a central position within said feeder zone, therebycompensating for quadrant'ly disposed uneven conditions within saidtreating zones. 7

17. in a solids retorting process wherein solids are moved upwardlythrough a retorting zone, and are fed intermittently into said retortingzone by means of a subjacent piston-cylinder feeder whichoscillatesbetween a substantially vertical retort feeding position andan inclined solids receiving position, and wherein the solids suppliedto said feeder piston vary substantially in size, the improved methodfor obtaining a relatively uniform crosssectional size distribution ofsolids in said retorting zone which comprises: preferentiallydistributing the relatively small size-range particles of solids so asto coincide with a generally planar axis of said feeder cylinder whilein the solids-receiving position; and preferentially distributing therelatively large size-range particles 'on each side of said planar axis,thereby minimizing the concentration of fines in peripheral zones ofsaid feeder cylinder and resultant unevendistribution in said retortingzone.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS853,420 'Rehman May 14, 1907 2,587,686 Berry Mar. 4, 1952 2,627,455 BergFeb. 13, 1953 2,654,594 Somogyi Oct. 6, 1953 2,871,170 Bewley et a1 Jan.27, 1959 2,912,127 Blixrud Nov. 10, 1959

12. IN A METHOD FOR FEEDING SOLIDS OF VARIOUS SIZES UPWARDLY THROUGHTREATING ZONES WHICH COMPRISES RECEIVING SOLIDS DOWNWARDLY INTO AN INLETZONE, TRANSFERRING SAID SOLIDS BY AN ARCUATE PATH IN ONE GEOGRAPHICALDIRECTION TO A FEEDER ZONE AND FEEDING SOLIDS VERTICALLY UPWARDLYTHROUGH SAID TREATING ZONES, THE IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINATION THEREWITHWHICH COMPRISES SEPARATING SAID DOWNWARDLY MOVING INLET SOLIDS OFVARIOUS SIZES INTO TWO RANGES OF PARTICLE SIZE GROUPS IN A FRICTION ZONEOF OPERATION BY CONTACTING SAID SOLIDS AGAINST A FRICTIONALLY RETARDINGSTRUCTURE IN SAID FRICTION ZONE, THE SMALLER RANGE OF SAID SOLIDSPARTICLES BEING MORE FRICTIONALLY RETARDED THAN THE LARGER RANGE OF SAIDSOLIDS PARTICLES IN DOWNWARD MOVEMENT IN SAID FRICTION ZONE, THEREBYDISTRIBUTING SAID SMALLER RANGE PARTICLE SIZE SOLIDS GROUP INSUBSTANTIALLY A STRAIGHT LINE ACROSS SAID FEEDER ZONE GEOGRAPHICALLYALIGNED WITH THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISPOSITION OF SAID ARCUATE PATH OF SOLIDSTRANSFER, AND DISTRIBUTING SAID LARGER RANGER PARTICLE SIZE GROUP WITHINSAID FEEDER ZONE ON EACH SIZE OF SAID LINEARLY DISPOSED SMALLER RANGEPARTICLE SOLIDS THEREBY PROVIDING PRE-TREATING SEPARATION OF SOLIDS INTOTWO RANGES OF PARTICLE SIZE GROUPS WHICH EXIST IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAMEPHYSICAL DISPOSITION WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER WITHIN THE UPWARDLYMOVING SOLIDS OF SAID TREATING ZONES.